West Haven, UT †June 27, 2007--Few rational individuals care to find themselves on a collision course with a hurricane. This goes without saying. People in the direct path of a hurricane can incur immense hardships and devastation. Even residents miles from where a storm strikes land can have their lives altered by hurricane-related weather. With summer, 2007, poised to be an especially active hurricane season, here are a few things to consider if you live anyplace potentially affected by coastal storms:

Tornadoes

Hurricanes produce tornadoes; much tornado activity occurs not in the center of a severe storm, but in rain bands along its outermost edges. Effects of tornadoes, coupled with hurricane-force winds, can result in substantial damages to regions not directly hit.

Did you know that more than half the hurricanes to reach land spawn at least one tornado? One study claims that 1967ís Hurricane Buelah produced a staggering 141. While modern Doppler radar has improved the ability to predict hurricane-related tornado activity, lead time usually wonít exceed 30 minutes, insufficient warning to evacuate or take significant precautions. Keep in mind that tornado activity can persist for days after a hurricane reaches soil!

High Winds

High(hurricane-force) winds in locations away from a storm center do more than destroy cheaply-constructed buildings and mobile homes; they frequently uproot towers and trees, in the process fracturing underground water and utility lines. Power poles can also be toppled, cutting off electrical power to some impacted areas indefinitely.

Storm Surge and Inland Flooding

Storm surge - in other words, waters which ram like a sledgehammer into the shore as a hurricane reaches land, can flood rivers and lakes and affect water supplies miles away. Inland floods often make roads and highways impassable, hampering evacuation efforts.

Slow-moving rain storms on the outskirts of a hurricane or tropical storm can also bring flooding to inland areas. Many of the greatest recorded rainfall amounts tied to named storms have been produced in this way. The resultant floods can be a threat to residents and communities stationed hundreds of miles from the coast.

NOTABLE STORMS WITH EXTENSIVE GEOGRAPHICAL DAMAGE

Everybody recalls the devastation wrought by 2005ís Hurricane Katrina, and the toll this horrific storm took on residents of multiple Gulf-Coast states. Katrina isnít the only storm in U.S. history to cause far-reaching damages. Here are a few others:

Tropical Storm Allison - 2001 - a mere tropical storm, notches below a hurricane in severity, brought rainfall and catastrophic flooding to Houston, Texas. For good measure, Allison produced heavy rain and inland floods from Louisiana to North Carolina, then finally veered north to Massachusetts - to spawn tornadoes, and thrash the New England coast with a menacing high surf.

Hurricane Opal - 1995 - struck land near Pensacola, Florida; damages extended for 120 miles along the Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Andrew - 1992 - a tiny but ruthless Category 5 hurricane crossed south Florida from the Atlantic Coast to the Gulf of Mexico; Andrew made land again on the Louisiana coast with winds still measuring 150 - 175 mph!

Hurricane Alicia - 1983 - Alicia, a modest Category 3 hurricane, hit the Gulf Coast near Galveston, Texas with wind gusts approaching 130 mph. Her 23 tornadoes shattered windows and pulled roofs from homes in the vicinities of Houston(50 miles away), and Tyler, Texas(250 miles from where she made land!).

Hurricane Audrey - 1957 - a 12-foot storm surge produced damage in southwestern Louisiana as far inland as 25 miles; non-coastal residents were subject to severe storm activity and power outages for hundreds of square miles from the point of impact.

THE CONCLUSION IS CLEAR

If you live on the United States coastline, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Seaboard, you already know you face a hurricane threat in 2007. Can you afford not to be prepared though if you reside in any location potentially impacted by severe coastal weather?

T-REX Generators believes that the purchase of a portable or emergency generator is an integral part of emergency preparedness strategy. In the event power is interrupted, emergency generators can provide an option besides sitting in the dark, or abandoning a home and its possessions. Generator power can keep you, your family, and cherished household pets warm and safe until utilities have been restored.

Whether you need a generator model to run a few key appliances, or an entire home, be assured the T-REX lineup features something ideal for you!

For further information about portable generators visit the
T-Rex Generators website located at: www.trexgenerators.com